Sling gun



12, 1936. c. c. MERRILL SLING GUN Filed April 25, 1935 lid 5X74)? (is67/701713 Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for throwing a projectile by thecombined power of a rubber band and a spring and to the means by whichthe projectile is held and subsequently released.

The objects of the device are;

To provide projecting means in which the action of a rubber band orbands is supplemented by the action of the spring whereby to give a snapor throw additional to the action of the bands;

To provide holding and releasing means which will permit the release ofthe projectile withoutaction thereon to disturb the true line of flight;and

To generally improve the details of construction by means of which theseand other objects are accomplished.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished andthe manner of their accomplishment, will be readily understood from thefollowing specification on reference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gun showing the spring and elasticband retracted with the projectile in place ready for firing.

Fig. 2 is a plan View on an enlarged scale of a fragmentary portion ofthe gun showing the holding mechanism in similar position.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding side elevation of the same portion of thedevice, showing the holding mechanism and the trigger mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken as on the line IV-IV ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of the front end of thegun after discharge.

Fig. 6 is a corresponding side elevation of the same fragmentary portionof the device, and

Fig. '1 a transverse section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawing in which the various parts of the deviceare indicated by numerals, ID is a gun stock, II a hand grip, I2 atrigger and I3 the body or barrel portion of the gun.

Mounted on the forward end I4 of the gun barrel, as by screws I5, is abracket I6 having upwardly extending lug portions I1, I8, in which a rodI9 is slidably mounted. This rod is preferably square or of polygonalcross sections to prevent rotation thereof, and may have its forward enddownwardly turned to form a handle 20.

Rigidly mounted on the rod I 9 and secured thereto as by a screw 2| is ablock 22 to which is fastened a transversely disposed fork member 23carrying posts 24 around which the outer ends 25 of rubber bands 26 arelooped, the member and posts forming a sling fork. Disposed around therod I9 between the rear lug I8 and the block 22 is a compression spring21 preferably of greater pull compressive strength than the retractedten- 5 sile strength of. the rubber bands 26. 28 is a bumper as ofrubber disposed around the rod I9 and between the forward lug I1 and theblock 22. 29 is a release bar, the front end of which is secured to theblock 22 as by the screw 2|. This rod extends rearwardly along the topof the gun barrel past the trigger I 2 and adjacent the rear or grip endof the barrel. The trigger I2 is pivotally mounted as on a pin 3|]passing through the barrel and has an upwardly extending lug 3| adaptedto engage in one of two or more notches 32 in the underside of the rod29. The lug 3| is held in engagement with one of these notches as by aspring 33 underlying a forwardly extending portion 34 of the trigger,the spring 33 being disposed in a recess 35 in the gun barrel. Adjacentthe trigger I2 and rearwardly thereof, the rod 29 lies in a suitablegroove in the barrel portion I3, of the gun, and is covered and held inplace in such groove by a plate 36 secured as by screws 31, 38.

The plate 36 is broadened adjacent its rear end by side extensions 39and is provided with rearwardly converging slots 40, 4|. Disposed belowthe widened portion of the plate 36 is an underlying plate 42 which isseparated from the plate 36 by spacers 43, the two plates being securedtogether by rivets 44, 45. Disposed in the space thus formed between thetwo plates are a pair of arms 46, 41, pivotally connected at theirforward ends by a pin 48. Extending upwardly from the arm 46 through theslot 40 is a jaw member 49 and from the arm 41, through the slot M, is ajaw member 56, the jaw members 49 and 50 being slidable along the slots40 and 4| respectively. 40 Also secured to the forward end of the armsby the pin 48 is an abutment plate 5| against which plate and the outerends of the arms 46, 41, the release rod 29 abuts when in retractedposition. The upper end of the pin 48 is slidably disposed in a slot 52in the plate 36. The rear ends of the rubber bands 26 are secured to amissile loop 53, preferably the usual leather strip folded in U- shape,and adapted to receive a missile such as a bullet 54.

In using the gun a missile is engaged in the missile loop 53 and theloop retracted, stretching the rubber bands 26 until the loop liesbetween the jaws 49 and 59, and the missile rearward of the jaws. Thisaction retracts the fork member 23 55 and partially compresses thespring 21 and at the same time moves the release rod 29 rearwardly, intocontact with the abutment 5| and the ends of the arms 46, 41, and startsthe jaws 49, 50 rearwardly and toward each other in the slots 4|], 4|.Additional pressure is then exerted on the handle member 20 furthercompressing the spring 21 and firmly clamping the jaws 49, 50 againstthe sides of the missile loop in front of the missile. During this finalmovement the release rod 29 is further retracted, causing the notches 32to pass over the trigger lug 3| and the lug to engage with one of thesenotches. In some cases where the missile is large this engagement may bewith the rear notch, but under ordinary conditions will be with theforward notch. A pull on the trigger l2, disengages the lug 31 from thenotch with which it is in engagement and allows the spring 21 to throwthe release rod 29 forward and permit the jaws 49, 50 to move forwardand spread apart and release the missile loop and the missile therein,this action being equal on opposite sides of the loop and therebyallowing smooth and accurate release of the missile.

Discharge of the missile is accomplished through the contraction of therubber bands 26 and the concurrent forward movement and throwing actionof the spring ll, on the sling fork.

What I claim is:

1. In a sling gun, the combination with missile propelling meansincluding a missile loop, of a pair of jaws adapted to be movedrearwardly and inwardly into contact with opposite sides of said loopforwardly of a missile disposed in said loop, fixed means convergingrearwardly for slidably supporting and guiding said jaws againstopposite sides of said loop, means for moving said jaws rearwardly intoengagement with said loop, and means for holding said jaws in retractedposition, manually operable for releasing said jaws.

2. In a sling gun, the combination with missile propelling meansincluding a missile loop, of a pair of jaws adapted to be movedrearwardly and inwardly into contact with opposite sides of said loopforwardlyof a missile disposed in said loop, a stationary plate havingrearwardly converging slots for slidably guiding said jaws againstopposite sides of said loop, means for moving said jaws rearwardly intoengagement with said loop, and means for holding said jaws in retractedposition, manually operable for releasing said jaws.

3. In a sling gun, an elongated barrel portion, a sling fork slidablymounted on the forward end of said barrel portion, a spring urging saidfork forward, a pair of elastic bands having their forward ends securedto said fork, and their rear ends to a missile-loop, and means adjacentthe rear end of said barrel portion for releasably securing said missileloop, said securing means being manually releasable.

4. In a sling gun an elongated barrel portion, a sling fork slidablymounted on the forward end of said barrel portion, a spring urging saidfork forward, a pair of elastic bands having their forward ends securedto said fork, and their rear ends to a missile-loop, means, adjacent therear end of said barrel portion, adapted to engage said loop, meansinterconnecting said fork and said loop engaging means for renderingsaid latter means effective on retraction of said fork, and manuallyoperable means for releasing said loop retaining means.

5. In a sling gun, an elongated barrel portion, a sling fork slidablymounted on the forward end of said barrel portion, a spring urging saidfork forward, a pair of elastic bands having their forward ends securedto said fork, and carrying at their rear ends a missile-loop, means,adjacent the rear end of said barrel portion, adapted to engage saidloop, a rod secured to said fork, extending rearwardly therefrom, andrearwardly movable into actuating engagement with said loop engagingmeans on retraction of said fork, said rod being notched, and manuallyreleasable trigger means adapted to engage a said notch in said rod toretain said rod in rearward position.

CATHEY C. MERRILL.

